Sleeping car



March 31, 1931. J. KOCH ET AL SLEEPING CAR.

Filed March 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 31, 1931 J. KOCH ET ALSLEEPING CAR Filed March 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Patented Mar. 31,1931 UNITED s'rA'rss Fla JOSEF KOCH AND MAX KLIESCH, OFSGHLIEREN-ZURIGH, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGlIOl-ES T0 FIRTH SCHWEIZ, VVAGONS-8a AUFZUGEFABRIK A. G, ECHLIEREN-ZUEICII, OF

SCHILIER-EN, SWITZERLAND SLEEPING CAR Application filed March 24, 1930Serial No. 438,456, and in Switzerland November 2, 1929.

This invention relates to a sleeping car mounted on bogies and includingtransversely disposed beds and entrance platforms at the ends of thecar.

The sleeping cars used in Europe at the present time comprise aplurality of compartments which are accessible from a centrallongitudinal corridor, and each second class compartment is providedwith two beds arranged above each other, and a single lavatory. Thisarrangement is disadvantageous for the reason that the upper bed isaccessible only by climbing. Another annoyance for the passengers is thefact that often two per sons that are complete strangers to each otherthereof, in order to provide the requisite adaptability for negotiatingcurves and to stay ithin the clearance line allowed for the cars, and onthe other hand by the provision of the proper comfort and safety of thepassengers, in that it is absolutely required that the whole dispositionof the compartments be very plain and all the compartments accessibledirectly from the corridor without the aid of ladder-steps and the likeso as, in emergencies, to enable the passengers of the car to escapeunhindered to the outside, and that besides the possibility of passingfrom one car to the other is afforded. more, for sanitary reasons andcomfort, it is a necessity to provide a separate lavatory for eachpassenger.

Heretofore, a practical solution responding to the above-mentionedrequirements in satisfactory manner could not be found, because in allthe known sleeping cars provided with single compartments severalcompart- Furtherments were either accessible only with difliculty orlimited as regards space and arrangement to such an extent that thepassengers had the impression of being trapped which would actually holdtrue in case of a railroad accident. 5'

According to the invention, in the sleeping car an adequate number ofsingle compartments is provided for approximately the usual number ofpassengers, in such manner that all the above sa1d cond1tions areentirely met, in that the bottom of the car is lowered between thebogies in'a manner known perthereto whereb the lon itudinal corridors vy b aifordingdirect accessto the laterally offset cabins are extendedthrough to each platform so as to be accessible therefrom and the uppercompartments are raised to such a level that at the ends of the carabove the bogiesfree rooms for the accommodation of the brakingappliances, accumulator batteries and other* accessories are formed.

The loweringof the car bottom between the bogies is already known withstreet cars for passenger traflic, but merely in connection with sidedoors to lee-provided, in order to'drop the'floor of the car to alowestpossible depth, so as to facilitate the entering andleaving the car byavoiding a'plurality of treads oran unusually high tread respectively.This construction, however, has never been used in conjunction withsleeping posed arrangements for the compartments no advantages wereobtainable therewith.

Heretofore, it was also unknown to arrange two longitudinal corridorsextending, all the way through a sleeping car so as to provideconvenient access to the single compartments thereof and to avoid theuse of ladders and the like. Previous proposals for arrangements,wherein. the compartments cars, inasmuch as with'the hitherto pro-- lOQcessible from the longitudinal corridor were designed as singlecompartments, referred to compartments with longitudinally disposed bedswhich from the point of view of comfort are not in favour with thetravelling public. Admittedly, an attempt was made to make a lower andan upper tier of single compartments accessible from a singlelongitudinal corridor, directly by pairs of adjacent doors, but alsothis arrangement had so many drawbacks as regards the available spacefor each single compartment, and particularly the design of the uppercompartments that this proposal,-at least in Europe, was never seriouslyconsidered.

Owing to the arrangement provided by the invention, approximately thesame number of passengers as usual can be accommodated in singlecompartments, which are entirely independent of each other, withoutunduly increasing the length of the car, in such manner, that all thecompartments are directly ventilated, and illuminated by day light. thatproper freedom of movement is afforded in the compartments and thelatter accessible from each respective corridor which in turn is freelyaccessible from both entrance platforms so as to provide two possiblethoroughfares, whereby the passage through the train is facilitated,especially if only one corridor be used for the one direction ofpassing.

Moreover, the possibility of providing double compartments exists, thepartition walls thereof between the beds of two adjacent compartmentsbeing adapted to be lowered, so that the two cabins may be combined.

In the drawing an embodiment of the invention is shown, by way ofexample, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the one longitudinal side of the one half ofthe car;

h 132g. 2 a similar view to Fig. 1, of the other Figs. 3 and 4 showhorizontal sections on the lines IIIIII in Fig. 5, and IVIV in Fig. 6,and

Figs. 5 and 6 show cross-sections on the lines VV in Fig. 3 and IV-IV inFig. 4.

The sleeping car as illustrated is equipped.

in usual manner with two four wheel bogies D on which the car body ismounted. .The two entrance platforms 1 at the ends'of the car aredisposed at thenormal level i. e. at the same level as the floors of allthe normal corridor carriages and the very ends of the cars are providedwith the usual flexible gangway bellows and draw bridges.

The car body has aclear-story 2 which extends close up to the upperprofile limit of the international conventional clearing line, asindicated in chain lines in Fig. 5, whereby the maximum available carheight above the head of the rail is determined, Whilst the lower carbottom is dropped down level of the floor of the corridor.

between the bogies and for about the middle third part of the car widthis extended down as close as possible to the lower limit of the saidprofile, so as to form a depressed portion with respect to the meanfloor level of the car. The clear-story 2 is provided in itslongitudinal sides with a pivoted ventilation window 2a for eachcompartment. From one platform to the other extends a lower corridor 4which follows the car bottom so as to rise up above the bogies to thesame level as the platforms, whilst the lower middle portion joins theportions above the bogies on both ends at t u by means of four normalstair treads. Beside this corridor the lower sleeping compartments 5 aredisposed which are directly accessible from this corridor by way ofswinging doors and the floors of which are arranged in the very bottom 8of the car one step lower than the The raised portion of the car bottombeside the bed 6 serves for the accommodation of a chair 7 adjacent towh ch a shelf 8 is provided. At the one end of the shelf 8 the partitionwall is offset to confine the lavatory 9 of the adjacent compartment andbeside the said offset portion the lavatory 10 of the respectivecompartment is arranged. Directly above the chair a large window 11 isprovided. The part 12a of the partition wall 12 of the compartment isconstructed as a swinging door which is normally closed and which may beunlocked by the car conductor if talking'communication between the twoadjacent compartments is to be provided.

But also the upper part of the partition wall 22 between the beds 60ftwo adjacent compartments may bedetachably arranged so as to be enabledto be sunk in the lower part thereof which permits of effecting acomplete communication between the respective compartments. Thisarrangement is illustrated in Fig. 4, the partition wall 22 between twoadjacent compartments being shown to be collapsed.

In the part of the compartment designated by the measurement K even atall person is enabled to stand in upright position and, on the whole,this, compartment, which bymeans of a connecting pipe to the pivotalskylight windows 2a is adapted to be properly ventilated and isilluminated by a window, affords all the necessary space for undressing,laying away the clothes and washing, as well as for a bed of normallength, whilst the suitcase may be stowed away under the bed. The lowercompartments are disposed in the depressedpa-rt of the car only. Thefree spare room 13 above each bogie and laterally of the corridor 4which is directly accessible from outside and from the lower corridor byway of the double swinging doors 14 and 14a respectively serves for theaccommodation of the braking apcompartments pliance, the accumulatorbattery and other accessories. In this layout the provision of directlyabove the axles, where the bumping and the noise caused by the wheels isgreatest, is dispensed with.

The upper corridor 15 situated on the opposite side of the car whichextends longitudinally above the lower compartments and is of suficientheight to enable a tall person to pass it in upright position isaccessible from both entrance platforms by means of four stair treadssuch as at t, 0, and the upper compartments 16 adjacent to the saidcorridor are accessible by way of sliding doors 17 placed above atread.Each of the upper compartments contains a bed 6 and adjacent thereto achair 7, which is mounted above the ceiling of the lower corridor, ashelf 8 beside the chair, and a lavatory '10 laterally of which, in thesame manner as for the lower compartments, the lavatory 9 of theadjacent compartment is disposed. In the middle compartments the bed 6is placed at the normal level (Fig. 6), whilst in the three compart-'ments from each end it is raised somewhat higher, as shown in Fig. 5, asin these places the lower corridor is slightly higher. All the uppercompartments are illuminated and adapted to be ventilated by theskylight windows 2a, and in the middle compartments an additional window18 is provided behind the chair. Thus, all the upper compartments arealso directly accessible from the pertaining corridor and adaptedto bewell ventilated; they permit, in the part designated by the measurementd, a tall'person to stand in upright position, they afford the necessaryspace for undressing, for storing the clothes,

and for washing and they accommodate a bed of normal length. The dresssuit case may be stowed away under the bed and above the window a rack19 for the trunks is arranged. A swinging door 12a in the partition wall12 of two adjacent compartments again permits of effecting a talkingcommunication between the latter. The car contains all told 20 sleepingcompartments as compared with a capacity of 22 passengers of theexisting sleeping cars with two beds arranged above each-other,

anda single lavatory in each second class com-.

partment.

The level of the two toilets 100 is a trifle higher than the lowerside-corridor. Above each toilet a big water reservoir 21, asshown inchain lines in Fig. 5, for the toilet and the lavatories is placed. Theshape of the car bottom results-in a heavy construction, due to thegreat hei ht, and provides a large moment ofresistance. The car is ofhigh stability, affords a smooth run, free of shocks, and ofiers muchgreater safety against telescoping than the existing cars of usualconstruc tion.

The described car may be carried out, by

way of example, with-the'following'dimensions:

WVe claim:

1. A sleeping car of the type wherein transversely disposed beds arearranged in single compartments, comprising in combination, a pair ofbogies, a depressed portion of the car bottom between the said bogiesand extending for a part of its width down to a conventional clearanceline in relation to a track, a lower longitudinal corridor situated onthe one side of the car, lower compartments positioned beside the saidlower corridor, an upper longitudinal corridor situated ahove the saidlower compartments on the other side of the car, upper compartmentsadjacent to the said upper corridor, and an entrance platform at eachend of the car, the said upper and lower corridors extending in astraight line through to each entrance platform so as to be accessibletherefrom and affording respective access to the laterally offset upperand lower compartments.

2. A sleeping car of the type wherein transversely disposed beds arearranged in single compartments, comprising in combination, a pair ofbogies, a depressed portion of the car bottom between the said bogiesand extending for a part of its width down to the limit as defined bythe conventional clearance line In relation to atrack, a lowerlongitudie nal corridor situated on the one side of the car, lowercompartments positioned beside the said lower corridor, the level of thefloor ofthe said lower compartments being one 1 step lower than thelevel of the floor of the p said lower corridor, a raised portionprovided in the floor of the said lower compartments opposite to thesaid lower corridor, a fixed seat arranged on the said raised portion ofthe said lower compartments, an upper lon 'itudmal corridorsituatedabove the said lower compartments on the other side of the car,upper compartments adjacent to the said each end of the car, the saidupper and lower corridors extending through to each platform so as to beaccessible therefrom and atfording respective access to the laterallyoffset upper and lower compartments,'e'nd parts of the said lowercorridor raised to the level of the said entrance platforms, and stepsprovided between the said lower corridor and the said end parts of thesame.

' 3. A sleeping car of the type wherein'transversely disposed beds are.arranged in, single' no upper corridor and an entrance platform at saidlower corridor, the level of the floor of the said lower compartmentsbeing one step lower than the level of the floor of the said lowercorridor, a raised portion provided in the floor of the said lowercompartments opposite to the .said lower corridor, a fixed seat arrangedon the said raised portion, of the said lower compartments, the floor ofthe said upper compartments being raised one step above the floor of thesaid upper corridor, a raised portion in'the floor of the said uppercompartments opposite to the said upper corridor and formed by the upperpart of the said lower corridor, a fixed seat arranged on the saidraised portion of the said upper compartments, and an entrance platformat each end of the car, the said upper and lower corridors extendingthrough to each plat-form so as to be acessible therefrom and affordingrespective access to the laterally offset upper and lower compartments,end parts of the said lower corridor raised to the level of the saidentrance platforms, steps provided between the said lower corridor andthe said end parts of the same,

and steps provided between the said upper corridor and the said entranceplatforms.

4. A sleeping car of the type wherein transversely disposed beds arearranged in single compartments, comprising in combination, a pair ofbogies, a depressed portion of the car bottom between the said bogiesand extending for a part of its width down to the limit as defined bythe conventional clearance line in relation to a track, alowerlongitudinal corridor situated on the one side of the car, lowercompartments positioned beside the said lower corridor,-the level of thefloor of the said lower compartments being one step lower than the levelof the floor of the cent lower compartments being disposed beside eachother, anupper longitudlnal corridor situated above the said lowercompartments on the other side of the car, upper compartments adjacentto the said upper corridor, the floor of the said upper compartmentsbeing raised one step above the floor of the said upper corridor, araised portion in the floor of the said upper compartments opposite tothe said upper corridor and formed by the upper part of the said lowercorridor, a fixed seat arranged on the said raised portion of the saidupper compart' ments, a window arranged behind the seat in each uppercompartment, a lavatory 1n each upper compartment, the lavatories ofeach two adjacent upper compartments being disposed beside each other,and an entrance platform at each end of the car, the said upper andlower corridors extending through to each platform so as to beaccessible therefrom and affording respective access to the laterallyoffset upper and lower compartments, end parts ofthe said lower corridorraised to the level of the said entrance platforms, steps providedbetween the said lower corridor and the said end parts of the same, andsteps provided between the said upper corridor and the said entranceplatforms.

5. A sleeping car of the typewherein transversely disposed beds arearranged in single compartments, comprising in combination, a pair ofbogies, a depressed portionof the car bottom between the said bogies andextending for apart of its width down to the limit as defined by theconventional clearance line in relation to a track, a lower longitudinalcorridor sltuated on the one side of the car, lower compartmentspositioned beside the said lower corridor, the level of the floor of thesaid lower compartments being one step lower than the level of the floorof the said lower corridor, a raised portion provided in the floor ofthe said lower compartments opposite to the said lower corridor, a fixedseat arranged on the said raised portion of the said lower compartments,a bed in each lower compartment, a common partition wall, providedbetween adjacent compartments and the beds of every two adjacent lowercompartments being placed alongside said partition wall and the upperpart of the said partition wall being adapted to be sunk in the lowerpart of the same for the purpose of effecting complete communicationbetween the respective compartments, an upper longitudinal corridorsituated above the said lower compartments 'on the other side of thecar, upper compartments adjacent to the said upper corridor, the floorof the said upper compartments being raised one step above the fioor ofthe said'upper corridor, a raised portion in the floor of the said uppercompartments opposite to the said upper corridor and formed by the upperpart of'the said lower corridor, a fixed seat arranged on the saidraised portion of the said upper compartments, a bed in each uppercompartment, a common partition wall provided between adjacentcompartments and the beds of two adj acent upper compartments beingplaced alongside said partition wall and the upper part of the saidpartition wall being adapted to be sunk in the lower part of the samefor the purpose of'effe'cting complete communi I cation between therespective compartments, an entrance platform at each end of the car,the said upper and lower corridors extending through to each platform soas to be accessible therefrom and affording respective ac-' cess to thelaterally offset upper and lower compartments, end parts of the saidlower corridor raised to the level of the said entrance platforms, stepsprovided between the said lower corridor and the said end parts of thesame, and steps provided between the said upper corridor and the saidentrance platforms.

6. A sleeping car of the type wherein transversely disposed beds arearranged in single compartments, comprising in combination, a pair ofbogies, a depressed portion of the car ottom between the said bogies andextending for a part of its width down to the limit as defined by theconventional clearance line in relation to a track, a lower longitudinalcorridor situated on the one side of the car, toilets disposedapproximately at the same level as the said lower corridor, a waterreservoir placed above each of the said toilets, lower compartmentspositioned beside the said lower corridor, an upper longitudinalcorridor situated above the said lower compartments on the other side ofthe car, upper compartments adjacent to the said upper corridor, and anentrance platform at each end of the car, the said upper and lowercorridors extending through to each platform so as to be accessibletherefrom and afiording respective access to the laterally offset upperand lower compartments.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JOSEF KOCH. MAX KLIESCH.

